Matthew 24:36-44 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 24:36-44 on biblegateway.com
Verse 36"But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Verse 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Verse 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, Verse 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Verse 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Verse 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Verse 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Verse 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Verse 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Devotion
“Dad, are we there yet?” “Mommy, how much longer?” Being parents of a two and three year old, my wife and I hear these questions and their variants almost every time we go somewhere, be it the store down the street or to some place far away. “Not yet,” we respond. As we get closer to our destination, our answer changes to, “almost…get ready…we are almost there.” And our two boys get excited.
We are on the verge of Advent, the season of waiting and the season of hope. Our journey towards Bethlehem and the manger is alive for us today. It is the journey towards Christ’s return. Many of us ask, “Are we there yet?” “Not yet…but we are getting close…get ready,” cries Matthew’s Gospel. While we do not know when we will get there, the incredible promise of this text and of the Advent season is that one day we will be there. One day Christ will return, and he will bring with him more grace and hope than we could ever imagine. So, we are not there yet, but get ready. How? By proclaiming to the world through word and deed the incredible grace and love of God that came with Jesus, comes with Jesus and will come again with Jesus.
Prayer
O God, in these days of waiting, help me experience your love and grace today in a new way, and to share it with the world around me. Amen.